Ludhiana expecting freight corridor boost

The freight corridor linking Ludhiana with Kolkata and Mumbai ports is expected to give a boost to industry in Ludhiana as well as Punjab.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone of this freight corridor during his visit to Punjab in the last week of this month.

A separate third track will be laid between Ludhiana and Kolkata and Mumbai for a dedicated freight corridor (DFC) so that the industrial hub of Punjab can be connected to the sea ports.

Phase I of the western corridor will start from Jawaharlal Nehru Port connecting Baroda, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Jaipur and Rewari to Tughlakabad and Dadri. The eastern corridor project would start from Ludhiana to Sonnagar via Ambala, Saharanpur, Khurja and Allahabad. The total route km for the DFC is 2,700 km.

Separate lines will be laid out at a total cost of Rs 22,400 crore, and are scheduled to be completed in five to seven years. Freight traffic on the Delhi-Howrah route mainly comprises minerals like coal and iron ore.

On the condition of anonymity a senior railway official told Business Standard that at present, goods trains run on the same lines as passenger trains and get second preference. "The objective is to match the 150 km per hour that goods trains in China do. Delhi-Howrah route has a line utilisation of 114-160 per cent, Delhi-Mumbai 115-150 per cent.

As for traction, while the western corridor is likely to have diesel traction, the eastern corridor may be electrified to permit easy transference of trains between the existing network and the new corridors.''

"On the new freight corridors, the current average goods train speed of 25 km per hour is expected to double," he added.

GS Radiators Ltd Managing Director Ranjodh Singh said a Rs 100 crore company, which exports radiators to the US, Australia, Europe etc, with this freight corridor, their transportation time would easily decrease by four days. "At present it takes 6 to 9 days to send goods to Mumbai by rail.

Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India President Joginder Kumar said with the coming up of this freight corridor, exports from Punjab would increase. "At present, almost 90 per cent of Indian cycle industry's total exports are from Ludhiana.

"Even 60 per cent of the Punjab's total exports of fasteners, auto parts, hosiery, readymade garments etc are from Ludhiana. I expect quick delivery of goods when this freight corridor comes up.''